Thread by @JEMilneSky

And so we return from lunch at Newcastle Crown Court for the continuation of evidence from DS Lewis in the trial of Carl Beech

Before lunch Mr Beech had been summarising the punishments he had been subject to

DS Lewis, in the video, asks about the recording equipment used to record Carl’s alleged abuse. Carl says he never saw a picture of himself at the time but that he was shown a few when he was in Kingston.

In the video Carl Beech says the “guy from the first office” said that it wasn’t up to him to decide when to stop. And that it was for him to decide

Mr Beech said that particular man had a very posh, well to do voice. He showed Carl pictures of Carl. Mr Beech says he was coming home one evening, walking by the river when the man showed him the pictures. The man showed him “a couple” of pictures.

Mr Beech says he’s not sure if he knew what a Polaroid was, they were just pictures. In the images Carl says he was on his own, with no clothes on. He says he was about 10 in these pictures. He can’t recall if there was anything in the background. He says he didn’t want to see

The man with the posh voice said he was going to show Carl’s friends and mother the pictures, so that she could see what Mr Beech had been doing. The man approached Carl, he says, when he was 12

In the video from 2012 Mr Beech says the man knew where he went to school, which classes he was in, where his mum worked, where he lived, he even knew where he’d just come from. He says he doesn’t know how the man knew all of that.

Mr Beech says when he was older he used to “just bunk off” from school, when asked about how the abuse continued when he was 15.

Mr Beech says the group only ever came to the house once, when he was ill, claiming his mother had gone to work. Mr Beech adds that the driver was the only one to come to the house that day.

DS Lewis asked how many of the 20 men had put their penis in Carl’s bottom - he answers, most of them. Of those men, DS Lewis asks, do any stand out? Carl says, only a couple of them and “I’m not, well, the Middle Eastern guy. And then there was another, there was 5 people (1/2)

“Five people in the inner group where there was a lot more secrecy with them. The Middle Eastern chap, the older chap that I saw at the first meeting, there was an American and the other two I don’t have any recollection of.” (2/2)

Carl says the American was very well dressed, a suit with waistcoat and things. “He was about 4, perhaps a bit older with dark hair. I think it was American maybe Canadian. He was fairly tall, taller than my father by thin. Not athletic.”

Carl says when he got to Kingston he would see the groups in the school holidays too, when his mum was working. The group would take him to different hotels, he says he didn’t recognise them at the time, but he was taken to the Hilton on Park Lane.

He adds that he was taken to somewhere not far from Oxford Street - “Grosvenor Square or somewhere”. When he was 13. He adds that this inner group were kinder than the main group “they didn’t hit me.”

Mr Beech adds “some of it was different to a teenager, I got to ride in a Rolls Royce. I had never been in one before or since. It was the Middle Eastern Guy’s car”

He adds that the Rolls Royce was black or dark. He was never given anything or paid any money.

DS Lewis asks why Carl has come forward now, to which he says “I’m stupid aren’t I. I don’t know. Coming back into counselling has helped me get rid of a few ghosts and bad memories. I thought everything was fine over the summer holidays.”

Turning the jurors to the transcript

Mr Beech adds “everything hit the press, people were coming forward and I felt guilty for not doing it earlier. I don’t know if people are alive or not now, I suppose it’s a bit late. I thought if other people can I can”. Carl says his mum told him to stop looking at the past.

Mr Beech says his mum is going to be mortified that he’s done this. He says they used to be okay (him and his mum) but since earlier this year, it’s fallen apart, I haven’t spoken to her since September (2012)

Carl Beech was asked about his natural father, he met him when he was 12. They met at Heathrow at the spectators gallery but “he wasn’t the father I hoped he would be”. Carl didn’t know if he was still alive.

Carl Beech didn’t know where Raymond Beach’s other children were or what rank he was when he left the army. “A quarter of the time” Carl was aware of other children there.

Carl says there was another child, a friend from Bicester, he can’t remember which school he went to or which street he lived on or the child’s second name. “Aubrey” was his first name.

DS Lewis asks, Aubrey? And how Old was Aubrey? Carl answers, same age as me. But went to a different school. Carl says he was in touch with Aubrey “years ago, perhaps longer, 30 years ago”. He doesn’t know where he is now and doesn’t know how he got involved with the group

Mr Beech doesn’t know whether they met through the group or not. He says the same things happened to Aubrey as did to him.

Mr Beech says the group made him and Aubrey kiss and touch each other. The group wanted him to hit Aubrey but Carl wouldn’t do it. Carl doesn’t remember getting picked up with him.

DS Lewis asks about the first incident, when Mr Beech said there was a lot of blood. How much blood? Carl answers that his underwear was just bright red. He can’t recall what he did with the underwear when he got home. Carl Beech says he didn’t have any medical treatment for it

He adds that one of the group would treat his injuries. Carl says he assumed this individual was a doctor. He says he couldn’t describe the guy, he was just an ordinary guy.

Carl says he’s not sure if this individual he describes as a doctor saved his life. He can just remember being held under the water and everything going black.

Mr Beech says there was a bath in he middle of a room, “they held my head under the water and I couldn’t breathe but when I did, it all went black”

Carl says there were more boys there, just boys. He didn’t have names for any of them.

Mr Beech has no names for any of the men involved in the inner group. He says he wants to know if they’re still around and if they were that it would worry him. Worry him that they would find out that he’d told his story.

DS Lewis asks how many times the Lieutenant had sex with him, to which Carl said lots. Carl says he went “right the way through” from the start to the age of 15. He adds that his step father put his penis in his bottom.

DS Lewis then asks about the other sexual acts that Carl performed on the Middle Eastern man, the American and the Lieutenant. Carl said there were gaps between each.

Carl Beech couldn’t name any locations other than London where his abuse happened, including the abuse with Aubrey.

DS Lewis asks what Carl would like to happen to these individuals if the police could identify them? Carl says the hope this information would add up to something.

Do you know who those people are, Carl is asked? He doesn’t know, he says he was picked up in diplomatic cars and they had their own guards. He says he was picked up from Kingston.

Carl says the “chap from the first meeting” was the ring leader and he supposes that he would be in his mid 80s now. Carl says the Middle Eastern chap was Saudi and the other American.

Did Carl know it was over? “No, just never heard. It just stopped. Never knew why. It took quite a while to stop looking over my shoulder.” He says he was still at Kingston, the same school when it stopped. He stayed there until 1986.

Carl Beech said he didn’t wish to change anything that he had earlier said and that he had nothing else to add.

Mr Badenoch QC asks if the recording were sealed and kept and given serial numbers. DS Lewis says yes to all.

Returning to the police log Mr Badenoch QC asks if that was the conclusion of events of 6 Dec 2012. Yes.

In the proceeding weeks DS Lewis arranged for transcripts to be made of the ABE interview.

In his own research DS Lewis could find no other link between Jimmy Savile and Bicester.

In the new year (2013) DS Lewis asked for the phone number of his mother so he could contact her. In the same conversation Mr Beech stated he was concerned about disclosing more information about two suspects, Saudi nationals.

He states that these people are still alive and rank higher than ministerial status in their country. DS Lewis said if and when Beech was ready to disclose more he could arrange another ABE interview

DS Lewis says Carl Beech, at this time, was unsure that he wanted to disclose any more, any names.

Carl Beech said he thought these two individuals were still alive but he didn’t tell DS Lewis why he thought that or how he came about that information.

31st Jan 2013 Carl Beech sent an email to DS Lewis with his mother’s contact details, providing her name, address and phone number.

On the 1st Feb 2013 Mr Beech declined a further interview at this point, saying that he is very wary and concerned about making any complaint against people in such high positions in diplomatic positions.

DS Lewis explained if he changed his mind, Beech could contact him.

Carl Beech did not, at this time, name any further people.

On the 1st Feb 2013 DS Lewis pursued his inquiries with Carl Beech’s mother and the Ministry of Defence. He wrote a letter explaining who he was and that he was investigating a “complex case with historic sexual abuse on a male victim” and that this was an off shoot of op Yewtree

DS Lewis continues - the group involves a number of individuals thought to be senior military figures (many of which are now deceased). I’m trying to see if your department could assist me - asking for details about Carl’s step father Raymond.

DS Lewis was seeking to pursue the military to see what, if anything, could be found to support this allegation of sexual abuse. Military responded on the 6th Feb 2013.

19th Feb 2013 DS Lewis visited Carl’s mother. He also received further information from the military on the 10th April 2013. He had to go to the records base to look at the records.

In summary DS Lewis said the records describe Raymond Beach as an unremarkable officer as above average intelligence with a drink problem. There was evidence he was an abuser - domestic violence - to his two wives and a live in domestic worker.

There was nothing in the file to help DS Lewis positively identify the Lieutenant. DS Lewis was satisfied that he had exhausted all military options of identifying who this Lieutenant was.

From the military records DS Lewis learnt that Raymond Beach joined the army in 1953 and promoted to Major in June 1969. He learnt Major Beach retired 2nd April 1977 on the basis of disability. There were entries concerning his actions towards his wives.

The records also showed that there were entries concerning his actions towards Carl’s mother, recorded as “actions of violence”. DS Lewis also obtained the divorce documents from Carl’s mother. 24th April 1976 Carl’s mother wed Raymond Beach.

Documents also show that the couple lives together at 6 Bulridge Road Wilton, Wiltshire. In the same year, 1976, Carl’s mother petitioned for divorce. She also sought a non-molestation order against him, sworn in August 1976. Carl’s mother moved away in early September 1976

DS Lewis also requested records from the two primary schools that Carl attended in Bicester. Carl Beech told DS Lewis the names of the schools.

16 April 2013 DS Lewis updated Carl Beech that his remaining line of enquiry was with the schools. He also wanted to find records for “Aubrey”.

Following a short break, the decision has been made to call it a day today. That concludes today’s proceedings at the trial of Carl Beech.

DS Mark Lewis will continue giving his witness evidence tomorrow from 1030 at Newcastle Crown Court.